The Ultimate Guide For Writing Landing Pages

landing page

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing Landing Pages

If you wanted to catch a Channel catfish or Mountain Whitefish, you would go to places like Utah where such species of fish are native to its waters. If you were after Striped Bass, you would go to the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.

What has writing landing pages got to do with fishing?

Think of your landing page as a special net for catching a species of fish. You have to wait until October when Striped Bass moves into the Bay to catch them. The same way your landing page has to be well-timed and specific to achieve its primary goal.

Trying to land clients for your business without a landing page is like fishing for Mountain Whitefish in Virginia. You don’t know the native fishes nor the best way to catch them.

Writing a landing page is like catching fish with the right tools

Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi from Pexels

You may land a few clients but it’s nothing compared to the sheer power of a landing page to generate leads for your business.

Unlike a website, a landing page is ultra-focused towards a small segment of your audience who are most likely to be interested in a particular offer.

The landing page shown to the prospect depends on the source of traffic, where they are in your buying cycle and your audience research.

See! It’s just like going fishing in the right water, at the right time and with the right tools so you can maximise your catch. In this case, lead generation efforts.

What is a Landing Page and How Does It Work?

A landing page is a single web page designed and written for the purpose of generating leads. Your visitors land here from a social media or Google Ad. The simplicity of a landing page makes it a powerful tool for driving action and increasing conversion from your advertising efforts.

A landing page is an important tool for lead generation and inbound marketing. It provides you with the best means of collecting email addresses.

Your prospect’s email is the foundation of lead nurturing. You’ll learn more about your ideal buyer including where they are in the buying cycle and the content that helps move them along.

The information on a landing page derives from the source of traffic and the offer you’re promoting. For instance, if you’re running an advertising campaign to promote a copywriting course, the goal may be getting them to sign up for a free ebook. The page they land on must be relevant to the e-book they came for.

Since they are interested in your offer, It’s easier to convert a higher percentage of those who view your landing page.

A landing page is a single web page designed and written for the purpose of generating leads. The simplicity of a landing page makes it a powerful tool for driving action and increasing conversion Click To Tweet

Here’s how it really works

A visitor sees your ad with a call to action asking them to sign up for a freebie.

They click the CTA icon which leads to your landing page with a form.

They fill out the form.

You’ve captured their name and email which turns them into a lead.

The information is stored in your database. You send them content or an offer for a product you’re selling based on what you know about them.

HubSpot is perhaps the best lead gen tool. It lets you see the source of traffic that converted the lead and how they interacted with your website. This ensures that you’re sending targeted information that follows up on what they already know.

Nurture your lead properly and they likely become a marketing qualified lead.

Happy sales team, happy customer. Win-win!

What is the Purpose of a Landing Page?

The main purpose of a landing page is to capture leads. Brands aim to collect contact information using a transactional landing page.

A transactional landing page is effective because it motivates the visitor to provide their contact information and purchase an advertised product or service. The most common technique is to withhold information until the visitor provides contact details.

The metric of success is the rate of engagement and conversion. There are no distractions. Only a single offer of the value proposition with a compelling reason for the visitor to take your call to action.

An effective landing page provides information to convert but not too much to confuse or distract the prospect.

A few ways to use a landing page include

Whitepapers and ebooks – If you wrote a 1,000-word blog post that is relevant to a problem your audience currently faces, you could dive deeper with a whitepaper or ebook. The whitepaper or ebook is the gated content behind the landing page for people to download.

Sell an online course – Online courses require a landing page. If you offer a digital marketing course or web design course, use a landing page to invite visitors to sign up for classes. Once you collect their information, follow up in their email to nurture a relationship and show them the value of your online course.

Free trial – New brands that recently released a product can use a landing page to share their demo offering. People love freebies and your landing page is the magnet to encourage them to sign up for a free 7-day trial of your product.

In exchange, they’ll provide their name, email, phone number and other information you need to send them personalized information.

Email newsletter – A landing page is a great tool to get your visitors to sign up for your newsletter. If you blog a lot and provide useful information, they’ll be willing to enter their email to be notified when you release new content. Use different landing pages to ensure it fits the content the reader is currently on.

If creating a landing page is your goal, Zenith Copy offers landing page design geared towards increasing conversion. Whatever your conversion goals, we’ll design and write a landing page that achieves your marketing goals.

Why Do You Need a Landing Page?

Turn Traffic into Leads

Use a landing page to turn visitors to leads

If you’re sending traffic from your paid search efforts directly to your home page, you’re leaving money on the table. A targeted landing page converts traffic into lead better than a traditional web page.

Assume you ran an Ad on Facebook using your highest-ranking keyword. Where would you want them to land?

Your homepage where they don’t know what to do or your landing page where the offer is clear?

A landing page features one offer and a CTA button. There is no doubt about the action the visitor should take. It increases the effectiveness of your online advertising efforts.

Reach your Goals

You have specific goals you want to achieve for your business, alongside metrics to check whether you’re on track or not. It could be to generate 200 new leads or 50 new customers. A landing page for each conversion goal increases your conversion rate.

If you want to generate qualified leads, use a landing page to collect emails. Want to sell a service or product online? Use your landing page as a sales tool to close more deals. The objective of each landing page should correlate with your overall business objectives.

Lower Cost of Lead Acquisition

A targeted promotion using a landing page ensures that the objective of the ad matches the intent of the visitor. Unlike a web page that dilutes your message and affects conversion, a landing page has a single focus.

Improving a visitor’s experience is key to lowering ad costs. The message match prevents frustration and bounce rate by extension. One focused call to action results in zero distractions and higher conversion.

A customized landing page gives you a massive edge over your competition. You also gain a better Ad Rank and Quality Score. This means higher positions for your ads, improved search impression and more appearances for queries than your competitors.

Get the Most Out of Your Paid Ads

Landing pages pack a super punch; more than a web page can ever deliver. That’s because landing pages are strategically targeted towards a specific section of your audience. It incorporates a customized message and an offer to ensure it succeeds.

Directing traffic to a static page is like trying to catch 100 fishes with one bait. You may be throwing your hook in the right direction but your catch is limited.

Landing pages are designed to convert. They are the best use of your paid traffic across Google Ads and Social Media Marketing.

Landing pages pack a super punch; more than a web page can ever deliver. They are strategically targeted towards a specific section of your audience. It incorporates a customised message and an offer to ensure it succeeds. Click To Tweet

Homepages Vs Landing Pages: Where to Drive Paid Traffic

A landing page and a homepage are not the same things. Most visitors land on your homepage when they visit your website for the first time. The goal is for them to visit another page that provides more answers to the problems they want to solve. Conversely, a landing page answers one question and is geared towards a specific action.

Think of a landing page as a destination page and a homepage as the start-off point. The website should leave a memorable first impression on your target customer. While the landing page is like a handshake – a part of the overall impression.

A website homepage contains bits of information about all your offerings. There are multiple distractions and CTAs leading visitors to other webpages.

A landing page has information about a specific offer. Every element on the page motivates the prospect to take that offer.

Use a website to explain what your business does, how customers can find you, your mission and values. You want to answer all the questions a visitor may have about your business. You also want to build trust with your target customer and eliminate barriers to a sale. The purpose is to inform.

On a landing page, there’s no time or space for all that. It has to be ultra-specific with information stacked in a user-centric way. The purpose is to capture a lead or sell an offer.

Think of a landing page as a destination page and a homepage as the start-off point. The website should leave a memorable first impression. While the landing page is like a handshake – a part of the overall impression. Click To Tweet
HOMEPAGE LANDING PAGE
Directs visitors to other pages on your website Provides the information the visitor came for
Informs Sells or capture leads
Visitor intent is broad. They are still looking around Visitor intent is specific. They know what they want.
Distractions and a full range of navigation to other web pages Zero distractions and navigations
The desired action is to entice the visitor to spend time on the website Get the visitor to take your call to action
The content touches on all the services or product the company offers The content is specific to one product or offer you want to promote
Designed to receive traffic from all traffic sources Designed to convert traffic from one specific source

What Are the Key Elements of a Landing Page?

Scannable Content

Great copy is readable. A landing page copy supports the buyer’s journey and the conversion funnel. Brevity is at heart of everything. Ensure your landing page copy is concise and the user’s path is clear.

Your prospect has a better understanding of your offer when it’s broken down in keyword-rich subheadings.

Main Headline and Sub-headline

What’s the first thing you see on a landing page? The headline.

Write a simple and creative headline. Think of the last newspaper article you read. You could tell the entire story just by reading the headline. Your landing page copy should follow a similar model.

The message should be strong enough to compel the visitor to stay on the landing page and click the offer. Your headline should:

  • Grab attention
  • Inform the visitor on the offer
  • Be concise. 10-20 words maximum

Got something else to say? Use your sub-headline as a follow-up sentence that supports the main headline. This article contains more tips to help you write a headline.

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In the image above, Optimizely uses a short headline to convey their message. But it’s not very clear. They go further to explain the intent behind the headline in the subheadline.

They’re offering you one optimisation platform for both websites and mobile apps. The main headline is catchy “make every experience count.” But it’s the subheadline that really sells it for me.

An Offer

Your offer is what you’re giving your prospect in exchange for their email address. Alternatively, it’s the product or service you want to sell.

The offer must be directly related to the content or ad the visitor saw before visiting your landing page. It should also relate to where they are in their buying journey.

If a prospect is in the awareness stage, they need more information. Offer them an e-book or checklist to help them understand the product and research available options. Prospects in the decision-making stage of the buying journey are ready to convert. Offer them a free trial.

Attractive Visuals

Nothing good comes easy. Maybe that’s why videos are so expensive but totally worth the money. Video on a landing page increases conversion by 80%. In fact, 96% of consumers say videos help them make buying decisions when shopping online.

When creating a video specifically for your landing page, keep it short. Viewers are more likely to watch a 2-3 minutes clip than a 10-minute video. Ensure you’ve optimised meta titles and description on the video for search engine optimisation. The video should influence the desired action.

Don’t have the budget for video? That’s okay. Use pictures. Your visitors are affected by images on your landing page.

Why?

The brain processes image 60,000 times faster than words.

The images should be relevant to the offering. If you’re selling a service, show a satisfied customer enjoying the service. If you sell a product, use images of the product. It should be large but optimised for size.

If it’s a software, use screenshots on the landing page to show its functionality. Images help your audience have a sense of what the product does before reading the landing page copy.

Videos are so expensive but totally worth the money. Video on a landing page increases conversion by 80%. In fact, 96% of consumers say videos help them make buying decisions when shopping online. Click To Tweet

Lead Capture Form

A lead capture form only works when it’s properly designed. It is the most important element of your landing page because it’s what you use to generate leads and boost conversion.

Place your form above the fold

It takes 50 milliseconds for a prospect to form an impression of your landing page. Above the fold is the most precious piece of real estate on a landing page. It’s the area that is visible to the visitor without having to scroll.

Placing your lead capture form above the fold ensures you don’t miss out on an opportunity to convert if the visitor doesn’t scroll.

I’m not saying that it guarantees conversion.

Heck, it could cause friction. The visitor hasn’t seen the offer but you’re asking for their personal information.

Thankfully, studies show that most web users scroll on a page even before the page has finished loading.

As a rule of thumb, place your form above the field only if it’s a free offer or the CTA cost nothing. C:\Users\anteg\Downloads\ScreenGrab\image509.png

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Alternatively, you could follow Unbounce’s example. Use a CTA button to redirect to the form above-the-field. The goal was to encourage signups for one of their services.

The landing page features three options with pricing plans. By moving the CTAs above the pricing grid, the buttons were above the fold at the bottom of the page. When you click the CTA “build a high-converting landing page now”, you’re redirected to the pricing plans below.

This technique led to a 41% increase in conversion.

Minimal form fields

Don’t overwhelm your prospects. Only ask for essential information. The higher the prospect is in the funnel, the less information you need.

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Image Source: Jotform

According to JotForm, shorter form fields have a higher conversion rate. However, ensure the form fields you’re taking out is the right one.

Social Proof

Social proof is validation.

It’s powerful and persuasive.

More convincing than your words could ever be.

It’s your customers saying that your product actually works as advertised. More specifically, how your product solved a problem for them. Buyers empathize and trust each other because there is no hidden motive.

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The image above is a landing page for Managed WordPress Hosting from WordPress VIP. They sprinkled reviews from top sites like Facebook to show-off their services.

Have you won any awards recently?

Were you featured by a high ranking site?

Display your accomplishments on your landing page. Anything that builds trust with your audience serves as social proof.

Social proof is validation. It’s powerful and persuasive. More convincing than your words could ever be. Display your accomplishments on your landing page. Anything that builds trust with your audience serves as social proof. Click To Tweet

Call-to-action

The CTA button and text is at the heart of every landing page. It should demand attention and be clickable. Use a contrasting colour to attract the eye and compel the click. It should stand out against the overall theme of the page. Make it big and bold.

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The CTA copy must align with the offer. Avoid generic words like “sign up”, “submit” or “Subscribe. Personalise the CTA copy to the offer. Use persuasive words to drive action. The landing page above from GoToWebinar features a CTA copy with the words “Start MY Free 30-Day Trial”

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I love this CTA button from MeetEdgar. The CTA button contrasts with the blue background. It’s enticing and hard to miss.

When you place your CTA button after your offer, visitors understand your value proposition and are more likely to convert.

Trust Badges

I recently wrote a landing page for a Roofing Company in Long Island. When I submitted the first draft, the client said

Chima, this is the best landing page copy I’ve seen. Definitely better than the crap I’ve paid for in the past. But, It’s missing something.

I was confused because I followed his instructions to a T. Somehow, I forget to add trust indicators. I went to his Google My Business page and pulled 5-star reviews relevant to the landing page. I sprinkled six reviews inside the copy and added the Google icon, so visitors knew they were legitimate Google reviews.

Next, I asked if he was a member of any recognised roofing associations in Long Island or a recognised installer from the roofing supplier. He said yes. We pulled trust badges from Owen Corning and the roofing association in Long Island.

Why go through all this trouble?

We wanted to build trust with the customer. The goal was to sell roof replacement. It’s an expensive purchase. The barriers most prospects have is finding an affordable roofer who is registered, insured and shows evidence of good work.

Trust badges help you achieve these goals. The reviews show that past customers were happy with your work. Trust badges from Owen Corning meant he was an approved roof installer. A membership with the local body showed he had fulfilled all the requirements to become a roofing installer.

Trust indicators could be anything that makes your visitor more comfortable to exchange their information. Case studies, client testimonials, statistical evidence and live videos of completed projects. These are all examples of trust indicators.

Best Practices for Writing High Converting Landing Page Copy

Landing page copy is a massive part of post-clicking on a landing page. You use it to show the features and benefits of an offer, product or service to your prospects.

Writing a compelling landing page copy that drives conversion isn’t magic. Your copy should move a visitor through each stage of the sales process while fulfilling a particular set of requirements. Here are a few best practices to abide by when writing a landing page copy

Clean and Easy to Navigate

Nobody wants to read a landing page that is difficult to digest. It’s a stepping stone in the buyer’s journey. Hence, they shouldn’t spend a lot of time on it. In fact, most readers are skimming the text, looking for the key information they came for.

Headline and Subheadings

The headline is the first text a visitor sees when they visit your landing page. When structured correctly, it summarizes the entire information on the landing page and makes it easier for the reader to skim content.

Length of Copy

The amount of copy on a landing page has a direct impact on conversion. Too little information and they can’t make an informed decision. Too much and they won’t read it.

The offer on the landing page determines the length of the copy. A short copy suffices for an offer that cost nothing such as a free e-book or guide. Your visitor requires minimal convincing to click the download button.

Conversely, if your offer cost money or requires payment at some point in the funnel, provide as much information to convince them to click the CTA button.

Use bullet points, short paragraphs and lists to make your copy digestible and scannable. This landing page copy from Adficient is a good example.

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A large wall of text scares your reader. Bullet points make multiple elements on a landing page stand out. Well-spaced paragraphs make it easier on the eyes.

While this landing page from Adficient is scannable, it doesn’t focus on the reader. They use words such as “Us” and “We”. However, pronouns such as “you” and “your” that relate to the customer shift the focus on your reader.

A customer-centric landing page shows that you empathize with your reader. You’re providing a solution that solves a problem.

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Take a look at this CTA button copy from HubSpot and Buzzsumo. The CTA button “I’m Ready to Download” is customer-centric and encourages more conversion.

The offer on the landing page determines the length of the copy. A short copy suffices for a freebie. If your offer cost money, provide as much information to convince them to click the CTA button. Click To Tweet

Content should be Consistent with the Prospect’s Experience

Landing page leads to a specific offer. It’s not the place to promote all your company’s offering as a whole. Focus on the offer as you write the landing page copy. If the traffic source is from an email about a free guide on email marketing, the landing page should be consistent with that message.

Don’t deviate to the long term benefits of email marketing. Mention benefits that make an instant impression and leads to a click on the CTA button. Match your copy to your offer.

Remember AIDA

While there are many formulas for writing landing pages, AIDA remains a classic for creating engaging content.

Attention – Interest – Desire – Action

Your first task is to grab the visitor’s attention. What is the problem you want to solve? How do you position the unique value in a way that speaks to the visitor? Is the content relevant to the problem?

The offer on the page should be visible at first glance. Speak the language of your visitor. More “you” less “us”.

Appeal to their desire for a solution by showing them how you’ll solve a problem.

Tell the visitor what steps to take next. Use action verbs that persuade such as “Buy Now”. A clear CTA button is crucial.

Write in a Natural Tone

Many copywriters tend to become stifled when writing B2B content. No matter the audience, the language should sound natural, even on the formal side.

Start a sentence with “but”. Break a few grammar rules. Be funny. Use simple words instead of industry jargon.

Many copywriters tend to become stifled when writing B2B content. Start a sentence with “but”. Break a few grammar rules. Be funny. Use simple words instead of industry jargon Click To Tweet

Best Landing Page Examples

Litmus

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The headline “Let’s stay in touch” is personable and invites you to subscribe to their newsletter.

It’s easy to sign up because they only ask for your email address.

If you have any worries about the content of their email, they’ve linked to past emails so you can see what you’re signing up for.

The Professional Wingman

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While the idea of having a professional wingman to help you find dates seems cool, there are several questions to answer. Thomas Edwards, the founder of the company uses this landing page to answer all questions you may have such as how it works and the benefits for your dating life.

I love the headline “Learn How to Get More Dates Today”. The service is highly personalised. Hence, they use a longer lead form to collect information such as your phone number, occupation, income and location.

This ensures that Thomas provides tailored advice for you. The CTA text “Get My Complimentary Coaching Experience” is actionable and persuasive.

Patreon

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I love the design and animated characters. It’s obvious that a lot of thought and effort was put into getting it right. The headline “Create on Your Own Terms” places control in the hands of creators.

Instead of asking for donations, creators generate predictable revenue through a membership-based platform.

They’ve included testimonials from top creators such as Issa Rae and Easy Allies. The testimonials further describe how Patreon works and the benefits for creators looking to raise funds, host events and generate revenue.

I especially love the use of white space throughout the page and the CTA button that grabs the reader’s attention.

Khan Academy

I don’t advise people to use their homepage as a landing page. Because when you do, it has to cater to different audiences.

However, Khan Academy is a great example of how to make it work. From the onset, you can see that the page is designed for teachers, learners, parents and districts.

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The headline “You Can Learn Anything” opens up a world of infinite possibilities as to what you can achieve with Khan Academy. They’ve got free online courses to help you sharpen your skills in computer programming, math and biology amongst other subjects.

The use of trigger words such as “free” entices you to sign up. I also love the personalised CTA buttons for each section of their audience.

Marketo

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Marketo’s offer is immediately visible at first glance. You’re getting the Gartner’s 2017 Magic Quadrant Report in exchange for your personal details.

They used bullet points to highlight top benefits such as an analysis of 15 CRM lead management vendors as well as opportunities and challenges with each lead management system.

The CTA button is big, bright and bold. The text “Download Now” is actionable. You know what you’ll get when you click the button.

To encourage signups, Marketo shares a testimonial from the operations manager of Cartelligent who testifies to getting more qualified leads and generating revenue with Marketo. They use social proof by including top brands they’ve worked with such as Glassdoor, Curves and Leadspace.

This article lists tips to write a great CTA for your landing page.

Awful Landing Pages and How to Fix Them

cruise.co.uk

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My eyes!

I’ve been blinded by this design.

But seriously. Where should I begin?

There are over 12 CTA buttons on this landing page.

It’s an offering party. Ocean cruise here. Deal of the day there and a ton of other distractions that makes it impossible to choose.

One landing page, one offer. The landing page for river cruise should be different from the landing page for the ocean cruise.

Strip away all the navigation buttons on the left, right and top of the page. You’ll have more white space and one offer for the prospect to focus on.

There’s no need to add external links to videos, images or reviews elsewhere. Use one of each on the landing page as social proof. You want your prospect to stay on the offer and take your desired action. Not to leave and never return.

Apple

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Before you come for my head, take a second look at this landing page. It’s the top result when you Google “iTunes movie”. There’s a list that includes everything from foreign movies to musicals, horror and romance movies.

How can anyone decide what to watch?

If this happened on the app, understandable. But from a search engine result page, unacceptable. There is no explanation on what to do, how to connect to iTunes or how to play movies.

I clicked on the “Sci-Fi & Fantasy section” and it led me here.

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Looks like a list of every sci-fi and fantasy movie ever made. I already feel overwhelmed. I clicked on my favourite movie in the Star Wars franchise “A New Hope”.

Finally, some useful information. But it redirects me back to the app to pay or watch the movie.

When writing or designing a landing page, the user should understand the message and know what to do. Don’t lead them to multiple pages or they’ll bounce before the end of the cycle.

Cowboy Studio

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This landing page redirects from a search for “photography lighting kits”.

The problem? This is not a kit. It’s a single strobe light.

Match the search intent to the landing page. Else, the prospect bounces.

Also, there’s a lot of wasted white space. Instead of placing the information below the product image, use the white space on the right as a bullet list of benefits.
Get rid of all that navigation on the left.

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It takes a while browsing through pages to find what I’m looking for.

Ease of navigation is crucial to a great experience. Eliminate navigational buttons that lead elsewhere. Ensure the landing page links to a relevant page to prevent a high bounce rate.

Office Furniture Online

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Similar to the cruise.co.uk landing page, there so much clutter here. It is impossible to know which action to take next because there are six different offers.

They don’t need the navigation on the top or left side of the screen. The right side of the screen is great. They used trigger words like “free delivery on all orders” for those in the UK mainland. They also show social proof with the excellent ratings from Trust Pilot. Sadly, that’s where the good features end.

The page could really do with some white space around the offer. It would make it easier to focus on the offer and digest content above the images.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Landing Pages

Using Multiple CTAs in a Single Landing Page

I’m going to use the first version of a landing page design plus copy I created for a client.

At the time, I was over-eager and thought I knew everything. But I skipped over one the most important rule in writing landing pages.

Use one CTA.

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These are four different CTA buttons on one landing page. One of them even has two CTA text. I wrote this. But I know better now.

When writing a landing page copy, ensure the CTA text matches the offer you’re trying to promote. In this scenario, the goal was to promote an offer for $1,000 discount on roof replacements. The right CTA text should be “I Want My $1,000 Discount”. Simple and persuasive.

Instead of writing multiple CTAs, I would use the same CTA at different positions throughout the page because it was a long landing page copy.

You’re Targeting Everyone

This occurs when you haven’t defined your offer or a target audience for that offer. A smaller target audience makes your landing page more effective. Marketing the same offer to everyone won’t work. Segment your audience and deliver offers that fit their needs and desires.

The Landing Page Copy and the Ad Are Not the Same

Creating a landing page that is unrelated to the ad increases bounce rate and destroys your chances of conversion.

The experience should be consistent for the user. That’s impossible if the offer on the ad doesn’t relate to the offer on the landing page.

For instance, if you’re selling a product at a discount for a limited time, the landing page should convince the prospect to buy that specific product, not talk about a different product.

The colours, CTA buttons, background and images should be consistent across both ad and landing page. This example below from Perfect Audience demonstrates my point.

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Image Source

Cluttered Design

46% of landing pages contain multiple offers. 84% have navigation bars (like some landing pages we’ve seen already).

Look through examples of the best landing pages and they all have several things in common.

  • Well-organized
  • Use of whitespace
  • Zero clutter

Their offer is clear and they want you to take one action. Don’t make the user work hard to figure out what the page is about.

Complicated Forms

Most users arriving on your landing page are in the awareness stage. They’re looking for information. An offer should be a free guide or eBook that provides answers. Not a long-form asking for personal information.

You haven’t earned the right to ask for information beyond their name and email. Until they trust you, your prospect is wary of sharing sensitive information with a “stranger”.

Their email offers more opportunities to nurture the relationship and guide them through their buying journey.

Most users arriving on your landing page are in the awareness stage. You haven’t earned the right to ask for information beyond their name and email. Until they trust you, they are wary of sharing sensitive information with a “stranger”. Click To Tweet

CTA Button Colour that Doesn’t Inspire Action

While there are many theories on the best colours for a CTA button, experts agree that contrasting colours convert best.

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It’s easier to focus on the CTA when the colours contrast. Just like the image above, taken from a page I wrote for Globat Skills.

Here are a few emotions that different colours elicit

Blue – Trust and security. The favourite colour of 57% of men and 35% of women.

Green – Easy for the eyes to process.

Red – Makes people behave in an unusual way. Red incites passionate responses.

Purple – A favourite among women, not men.

Beating Around the Bush

You have less than a second to make an impression on your landing page. Be direct. Tell your prospect what’s in it for them. At first glance, the message and the action to take should be clear.

Missing Keyword Specificity

Show continuity with the keyword(s) a visitor used to find your landing page. It’s the fastest way to become more relevant to your visitor.

Improve message match between ad, keyword and landing page. This ensures that your landing pages convert better. Use the keyword in the title, description and body of the text.

7 Landing Page Statistics Every Marketer should Know

1. 46% of mobile visitors say that waiting for pages to load is what they dislike most about landing pages. Only 50% of landing pages are optimised for mobile.

Consider page load time when designing a landing page. Think mobile when choosing the layout, content hierarchy, visuals and CTAs.

2. 58% of landing pages include clickable graphics that are related to the content

Remove links that lead outside the landing page. You want to keep your prospects on your landing page. If the graphic doesn’t open a lead form, take it out.

Only 16% of landing pages have no navigation

Just like in the scenario above, landing pages do not need navigation. Do not give your visitor an excuse to leave until they’ve converted.

3. Only 48% of marketers have a landing page for each campaign. Websites with over 30 landing pages generate 7x more leads than those with 10 landing pages or fewer.

Create a landing page for every offer or service on your website. The more landing pages you design, the higher your conversion.

4. 75% of businesses struggle to optimise their landing page copy.

I recommend Hotjar for testing landing pages. Other tools to explore include Optimizely and Hubspot.

5. Incorporating videos on a landing page increases conversion by up to 86%.

Videos are effective but expensive. It’s no surprise many small businesses can’t afford to include video on their landing page. If you’re serious about conversion, it’s an investment that pays for itself.

6. 44% of B2B websites direct prospects to the homepage instead of a landing page

If you’re investing in ads, you should want to see results from your investment. A homepage features multiple offers and navigations that encourage your visitor to look elsewhere for information, not convert. If conversion is your goal, use a landing page for each offer you promote.

7. Longer landing page copy could generate up to 220% more leads than above the fold CTA.

This is tricky because you have to consider your offer first before length. If the offer cost nothing, the landing page should be concise. When you’re promoting an expensive, technical or disruptive product/service, longer copy converts better.

Let’s Recap

  • A landing page is your best chance to turn traffic from your paid search/marketing efforts into leads.
  • One landing page, one offer.
  • Landing pages shouldn’t have external links or navigation.
  • Use contrasting colours for the CTA buttons
  • The CTA text should match the offer
  • The length of the landing page copy is determined by the offer.
  • Personalise your landing page to fit traffic source.
  • Create a landing page for each offer you want to promote.

If you need help designing and writing a customer-centric landing page geared towards conversion, get in touch today.

 

1 thought on “The Ultimate Guide For Writing Landing Pages”

  1. It was such a great article which was about the simplicity of the landing page. I would like to add some easy points which are as follows:
    1.Define your goals
    2.Prioritize essential information
    3.Create a clear and concise headline
    4.Use visual hierarchy
    5.Limit the number of choices
    6.Use visuals wisely
    7.Keep it mobile-responsive
    These are some points which I wanted to include in your article.

    Reply

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